1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to public safety; requiring the commissioner 
  1.3             of public safety to adopt rules governing electronic 
  1.4             records of motor vehicle insurers in order to make 
  1.5             records immediately available to law enforcement 
  1.6             agencies; making technical change; amending Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes 1996, section 169.796. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.796, is 
  1.10  amended to read: 
  1.11     169.796 [VERIFICATION OF INSURANCE COVERAGE.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [RELEASE OF INFORMATION.] An insurance 
  1.13  company shall release information to the department of public 
  1.14  safety or the law enforcement authorities agencies necessary to 
  1.15  the verification of insurance coverage.  An insurance company or 
  1.16  its agent acting on its behalf, or an authorized person who 
  1.17  releases the above information, whether oral or written, acting 
  1.18  in good faith, is immune from any liability, civil or criminal, 
  1.19  arising in connection with the release of the information. 
  1.20     Subd. 2.  [RECEIPT OF DATA BY ELECTRONIC TRANSFER.] The 
  1.21  commissioner may, in the commissioner's discretion, agree to 
  1.22  receive by electronic transfer any information required by this 
  1.23  chapter to be provided to the commissioner by an insurance 
  1.24  company. 
  1.25     Subd. 3.  [ELECTRONIC ACCESS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT 
  1.26  AUTHORITIES.] The commissioner shall adopt rules governing 
  2.1   electronic records kept by insurance companies of vehicle 
  2.2   insurance policies required under section 65B.48.  The rules 
  2.3   must require electronic records to be compiled and maintained in 
  2.4   such a manner as to provide law enforcement agencies with 
  2.5   immediate electronic access to the records. 
  2.6      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.7      Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.  
  2.8   However, all electronic records of insurance companies subject 
  2.9   to section 1 must comply with the rules within one year of their 
  2.10  initial publication under Minnesota Statutes, section 14.18, 
  2.11  following the effective date of section 1.